Government of Canada to facilitate the immigration of up to 1,000 Tibetan refugees living in Arunachal Pradesh in India

December 19, 2010

Ottawa, December 18, 2010 — The Government of Canada intends to
facilitate the immigration of up to 1,000 Tibetan refugees living in the
state of Arunachal Pradesh in India over a five-year period,
Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney
announced today.

“Our government’s openness to Tibetan refugees is in keeping with
Canada’s best humanitarian traditions,” said Minister Kenney. “We look
forward to working with the Government of India and the Tibetan-Canadian
community on the implementation of this program, and on welcoming these
individuals to Canada.”

Special immigration measures will be developed in response to a request
by the Tibetan community and will focus on individuals who meet specific
criteria. These measures aim to maximize the involvement of communities
in Canada by focusing on individuals who have secured the support of the
Canadian-Tibetan community or other interested supporters.

Canada has a long-standing tradition of facilitating immigration for
various groups around the world by matching prospective immigrants to
community sponsors in Canada through private sponsorships. This is done
at no additional cost to Canadians because initial settlement costs,
including housing, are guaranteed by sponsors.

This humanitarian initiative will assist Tibetan refugees in Arunachal
Pradesh, who live in remote and isolated settlements.

“I would like to recognize India’s long-standing support for the
Tibetans in India,” added Minister Kenney. “This is Canada’s opportunity
to complement India’s support for this vulnerable population.”

This is not the first time Canada has assisted Tibetans. In 1972, Canada
established the Tibetan Refugee Program and resettled approximately 230
Tibetans in Canada who had been living in Northern India. This new
initiative, which will bring in up to 1,000 Tibetans, is another example
of Canada’s efforts to reach out to the Tibetan community.

Persons entering Canada under these special measures would be required
to meet Canada’s requirements for immigration, including security,
criminal, medical and background checks.